Say what you will about the French (I’ve always found them to be quite friendly and exquisite, much the antithesis of the cranky, smelly stereotype), but their House of Tomorrow is très bon !

Recently featured in the French mag Architectures à Vivre, La Maison de Demain is a newly designed prefab that was unveiled last month at the Bâtimat Show in Paris. Comprised of three separate sections, the house surrounds an open middle section that can be enjoyed during the summers and covered by a mobile canopy in the winter. This setup provides a ridiculous amount of natural light, if that’s your thing, and makes the open area (which I’m guessing would be the structure’s social center) easily accessible from just about everywhere.

The house seems to be green throughout, starting with the living roof, whose photovoltaic panels provide an almost net zero consumption of energy, and its slanted design for easy watering of the house’s lush rooftop garden. And as far as my high school French indicates, all the products used inside are healthy and/or recycled, from the low-VOC interface carpet tiles to the low-flow toilets, FSC-certified wood and solvent-free paints. Even the insulation was created from wood fiber and cellulose.

By far my favorite aspect is the house’s pre-wiring, which makes it possible to connect all of your electronic gadgets and comfort devices (from your TV to your lighting and heating) to the same remotely-operated network. This is a huge energy saver, because it allows you to shut your heat off before going out of town and then turn it back on just in time for your return. And even the laziest person won’t mind turning off lights if it can be done from the comfort of your favorite chair.

The house was designed to show that sustainable, energy efficient designs can visually stunning and affordable. (Of course, we knew that already.) Unfortunately, if you’re planning a trip to Paris to view the exhibit, you’re too late. But hopefully the house of tomorrow will be available sooner, like, today.